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Answer
Deuteronomy 29:29 states, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” This verse concludes a lengthy passage where the Israelites reaffirm the Mosaic Covenant and its laws before the Lord.
The expression “the secret things belong to the Lord” implies that there are certain things known only to God. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He is eternal “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”, (Psalm 90:2), knows the future “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”, (Jeremiah 29:11), and sees all things “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good.”, (Proverbs 15:3). Unlike God, humans are finite and limited in our knowledge—we cannot fully or completely comprehend everything about God or His purposes. Therefore, the “secret things” that belong to the Lord are those known only to Him as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation (Colossians 1:16-17).
Nevertheless, the acknowledgment that the secret things belong to the Lord does not imply that humans cannot have any knowledge about God. In reality, Deuteronomy 29:29 also mentions “things revealed.” We can understand a great deal about who God is and what He is doing because He has disclosed Himself to us through “the words of this law,” as DeuDeuteronomy 29:29 states that although God is mysterious, and certain “secret things” belong only to Him, He has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity through His Word (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20-21). More specifically, God has chosen to make Himself known to us through His Son, Jesus (John 1:14; Hebrews 1:1-3). God desires us to learn and understand more about Him as we live our lives (Deuteronomy 4:34; Matthew 11:28-30).
Therefore, even though people can never acquire knowledge of “the secret things [that] belong to the Lord,” they do have access to what is clearly revealed in His Word about who He is and how He desires them to live.
The words of Deuteronomy 29:29 can also serve as a source of encouragement for individuals facing difficult or challenging circumstances. If a parent loses a child, or a woman is abandoned by her husband, or a man loses his job, knowing that “the secret things belong to the Lord” can help them recall that God knows and sees all things. The “why” of a tragedy may be one of the “secret things” that God keeps concealed as part of His inscrutable plan. However, He has promised to work even the most challenging circumstances for good on behalf of His chosen and beloved people, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
